Join

About

Hi! In October 2010, I moved from San Francisco to Manhattan with my husband, daughter, and twin boys. Since then I've been busy teaching myself and my kids how to hail a cab, fly a kite in Central Park, and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with style. And a few other things. I write about those other things here. Thanks for stopping by!
Email questions to sharonbeesley@gmail.com.

BlogLovin'

5/7/12

A Fruit Adventure: Dragon Fruit

When it comes to fruits, I stick to the classics. Apples, oranges, berries, and bananas. Maybe if I'm feeling wild I'll buy a pineapple. But sometimes, as a dorky adventure, I'll have my kids pick an exotic fruit instead of candy after school. It's shocking how excited this makes them. Usually this adventure ends with me pulling up a Youtube video explaining how to cut the fruit properly. I can always find one.

On a trip to Chinatown on Saturday, I found a perfect example of the kind of fruit I buy on a fruit adventure: A Dragon Fruit. It's my first! Here's some pictures and how I cut it. It was really simple and easy. The flavor: Almost like a melon, but more mild. Delicious and cool. The texture: Slight crunch and juicy. Love the little seeds. Reminds me of a kiwi. I loved it, the kids liked it.

What's your favorite exotic fruit? Are you in a fruit rut? There's always the Exotic Fruit of the Month Club! My husband would be thrilled to be a member. ha

Cut in half, length wise.

Scoop out white section with a spoon, like you would a kiwi.

Dice and serve in the skin. Simple and pretty.

How much for this exotic fruit? Yikes. It's embarrassing. I'm hiding the price in shame after the jump.

The total came up to be $5 for one piece of fruit! No wonder I stick to the classics. Total splurge, but worth the adventure of trying something new.

24 comments:

My sister and I tried dragon fruit a while ago, and it wasn't a tasty experience. Maybe they weren't really ready yet? It had no taste, and with the texture that it is, it definitely needs a taste! Glad y'all liked it! I may have to try again!

I'm a meanie and have vegetables for snack. BUT... that's because my son Reuses to eat any vegetables I send in his lunch, & I know he'll eat them with me and his baby sis. Our adventurous snack is something kinda junkie. {I'm a sucker for gluten, chocolate, and cheese, alas, as is well-evident in my no-longer size 2 hips.} Right now it's frozen fruits with that chocolate hard shell on top. Mmmm. Not too horrible, right? Wish we could get those Dragon fruits here.

the key of choosing a dragon fruit is that you have to have the right hue of purple. Anything too deep, is not sweet anymore. Anything too light, it will be too 'young'. Imagine crossing the bridge from deep pink to light purple, the right shade is right in the middle of the bridge (if you can imagine it). I used to live in South East Asia where the fruits are abundant, and still often I get it wrong. Especially when you pick it from a big basket of dragon fruits - it's easy to be misled. But luckily there's a solution for bland dragon fruits. Sprinkle a little salt or better yet, use fruit salt. I don't know how people would react to savory fruits, but in Asia, we even put peanut sauce (taste like peanut butter) on fruits. And yes, the price is exorbitant once we live far from the country of origin, but the next morning you'll have a cleaner digestive system.. you'll see ;)

this is super old but one of the reasons dragon fruit is so darned expensive is the need for hand-pollination. At least here in Hawaii, the bee or whatever bug that pollinates it has died off here (not sure if it is extinct worldwide?) so the plants have to be hand-pollinated.

yes I really like dragon fruit and I always take it every day with the family. It is true that the benefits of dragon fruit was incredible. YES of course i like this article for you, get it now Cara Menjadi Member Green World of course me